Modes With Mode Dictionary

If you find memorizing steps was too difficult, this is the lesson for you! Modes are not put together with steps, but by altering the major scale. The entire point of modes are to change scales to suit your needs.

A mode is just an alteration of a major scale. Once you know your major scales, you can begin to learn modes. Good knowledge of you fretboard and basic intervals is a must for modes. I will go through how to make modes, as well as every mode for every note (Ab, A, Bb, B, C, Db, D, Eb, E, F, Gb, G) for easy refference.

Ionian - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1

Dorian - 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 1

Phrygian - 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 1

Lydian - 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 1

Mixolydian - 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 1

Aeolian - 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 1

Locrian - 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 1

Ionian

Ionian mode is just the name for the major scale. It has no alterations made to it. Play this mode over Major chords, Maj7, Maj6

Dorian

Dorian mode has a flattened third and seventh (b3 and b7) making it ideal for m7 chords. You can also use Dorian mode for m6 chords. Dorian mode is often used in jazz styles.

Phrygian

Phrygian mode has a lowered second, third, sixth, and seventh. Phrygian has a Spanish feel to it so you can Play it over spanish progressions or heavy metal/rock riffs with a b2.

Lydian

Lydian mode's only alteration is a raised fourth (#4) making it very close to the major scale. The #4 makes it a good chord to use for Maj7#11 chords, but can also be used over maj7 chords.

Mixolydian

The only alteration in Mixolydian mode is the lowered seventh (b7). This makes it perfect for dominant 7th chords. This mode can be used in blues, jazz or even country.

Aeolian

Aeolian mode, a.k.a. the minor scale has a b3, b6 and b7. (All minor scales have a b3). Aeolian mode works over minor chords, and can be used as a substitute for Dorian mode, by using it over m7 chords.

Locrian

Locrian mode has a b2, b3, b5, b6 and b7. Locrain mode is very dark sounding. It fits a m7b5 chord perfectly.

Mode Dictionary

To find the mode you want press Ctrl+F, then type thenote, and mode. (ex. C Ionian). Each entry has the name of the mode, the notes that are found in it, and the TAB for it.

This is a good lesson, but I think its critically important that you dont onnly understand how you form the modes in terms of intervals (like flatting the seventh to make a mixlodian). What you explain is definately neccessary to know, but I think that its also extremely beneficial, especially for beginners, to understand how modes come out of parent major scales:
-the notes of any major scale can be played in 7 different orders to get you the 7 modes explained in this lesson. Take C major (CDEFGABC) for example. If you play these notes of the C major scale starting on the root of the scale, C, and ending on C, that gives you, obviously, the C ionian or C major scale. Now, if you play these notes starting on the second of the scale, D, so DEFGABCD, this gives you the D dorian mode. If you play the notes starting on the third of the scale, E, so EFGABCDE, you get E phrygian.
And this goes on in the same manner so that if you play the notes of the C major scale starting from each of the 7 degrees of the scale, you get a different mode. So for the C major scale, you can form the modes as follows:
if you start from: You Get:
root- C ionian (major scale)
major second- D dorian
major third- E phrygian
perfect fourth- F lydian (FGABCDEF)
perfect fifth G mixolodian (GABCDEFG)
major sixth A aeolian (ABCDEFGA)
major seventh B locrian (BCDEFGAB)
This is true for any major scale: if you want to form a locrian mode, play the notes of that major scale starting and ending on the major seventh. If you want to form a lydian mode, play the notes of the major scale starting and ending on the fourth. Memorize that the dorian corresponds to the second degree of the scale, phrygian to the third, lydian to the fourth, mixolodian to the fifth, aeolian to the sixth, and locrian to the seventh. After doing this it will become really easy to form each mode, because you don't have to think about what intervals are being flatted or raised. All you need to know to figure out what F dorian is, for example, is figure out which scale has F as its major second, so Eb major (Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb) and then play those notes starting and ending on F.

This lesson is written showing the modes as separate scales, which they are of course, all in Ab. Wouldn't it be easier to show, for example Ab major, and just change the root note and keep the same shape? It just seems like that would be easier than memorizing six new shapes, or does this method have some type of fault? Wouldn't you get the same result in the end?

DrG-Luke wrote:
ei guyz can you suggest a site that has flamenco tutorials ? Slash you said phyrigian can be use in spanish progression and i wanna know more about it. Im composing a song and i want my intro to be like in desperado or sumthin like that and ill go hard afterwards. Any comments and suggestion would be great.. thanks

Theres this old spanish looking guy on youtube and he has like 10 flamenco lessons. To be honest ive never looked at em, but I remember being a noob n looking at guitar lessons and running into em. not that I'm not a noob.

steveo57 wrote:
im not sure i agree with A [aeolian] in your example; it was explained to me that A aeolian would be the 6th degree of the major scale A,this would mean it would have to have an F# in it,you arent showing this in the above formula for A aeolian,if im wrong i apologize,someone please help me im confused over some of this

F# is in E Aeolian. If Im not mistaken. Or G# Ionian. Whichever you prefer. A is the relative minor to C major, and so it has no sharps or flats. Just a minor error on your part, thats all. Hope it helped.

Ok so now we all wat the various modes are and how they sound like But can someone then advise on its actual application in a actual song with varying chord changes? Meaning, say if u are playing a given song in the key of 'C', does it mean that we can play a dorian solo throughout the song, or, only a dorian when the chord of the song is in 'D'?

im not sure i agree with A [aeolian] in your example; it was explained to me that A aeolian would be the 6th degree of the major scale A,this would mean it would have to have an F# in it,you arent showing this in the above formula for A aeolian,if im wrong i apologize,someone please help me im confused over some of this

so every ionian shape in every root is the same? If i use the ionian shape in C i can also apply that in F? Wow so its this easy.. haha.. all i have to do is memorize all the 7 shapes and i'll be able to apply it in every key i choose to start in..

Using enharmonics, yes, there is.
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Regardless, I was looking for this a long time ago, 'til I learned the intervals on a different lesson. I'm sure it will help an awful lot of people, though.